
Interdisciplinary research focusing on highly skilled Indian migrants in Frankfurt am Main
About New Homes in New Lands
In recent years many highly qualified Indians have migrated to Germany to take on a new challenge in a non-anglo country, advance their careers, and fill in the local shortage of professionals in several industries, e.g. IT and engineering. Our research project seeks to investigate their lifestyle choices and expressions of identity in Germany through the architectural lens of housing.
Designed as a case study, our research project places a focus on the
Indian diaspora in the German financial metropolis of Frankfurt am Main.
New Homes in New Lands is funded by the
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and located at the
Technical University of Darmstadt’s Institute of Sociology.
Take a look at the detailed project description on the DFG-website with a click on the button below:
Our Team
Dhara Patel, Ph.D.
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Professional Experience
Since 2021: Postdoctoral Researcher (Eigene Stelle -DFG Project) at Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt)
2019-2021: Ingenium Postdoctoral fellow at Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt)
2018: Early Career Research Fellow, Architecture Building and Planning, University of Melbourne, Australia
2009–2017: Course Co-ordinator, Architectural Design tutor, Architecture Building and Planning, University of Melbourne, Australia
2006–2011: Practicing Architect, Various firms, Melbourne, Australia
Awards and Fellowships
2020–2021: Re-entry Scholarship, Gleichstellungsbeauftragte, Technische Universität Darmstadt
2019: DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemainschaft) – Eigene Stelle (Individual Project) – 36 months research grant
2019: Career Bridging Grant, INGENIUM, Technische Universität Darmstadt
2016: Dean’s Prize for Best Published Postgraduate Research- 1st Prize for excellence in a peer-reviewed publication by a sole author, Melbourne School of Design Dean’s Honours Awards
2014: AUSMIP mobility fellowship, ENSA Paris La Villette, ERASMUS MUNDUS
2012–2016: MRS – Melbourne research scholarship, University of Melbourne
2006: First prize award by CEPT campus development authority, Ahmedabad India, Design competition to redevelop the main entry to the campus.
Education
2018: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Architecture Building and Planning, University of Melbourne, Australia
2006: B.Arch.(Hons), School of Architecture, CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India
2004: ERASMUS Exchange Program, ETH Zurich, School of Architecture, Zurich, Switzerland
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Journal Articles
2017: “Evolution of Elite high-rise condominiums in India: from global to neo-colonial?”, Journal of Postcolonial Studies, Vol. 20, Issue 4, pp. 456–478, Routledge, UK.
2015: “Negotiating Identities in the Designs for New Luxury Condominiums in Neo-liberal India”, International Journal of Design in Society, Vol. 9, Issue 4, pp. 15–29, Illinois, USA, Common Ground publishing.
Conference Proceedings
2015: “Negotiation of identities in the emergent cosmopolitan Indian landscape: analyses of the designs of new luxury high-rise apartments in neo-liberal India.” Paper presented at the Living and Learning: Research for a Better Built Environment, 49th International Conference of the Architectural Science Association, Melbourne, Australia. http://anzasca.net/2015-conference-papers/
2014: “New cosmopolitans: Gated Communities in India”, The Architect, Journal of The Sri Lanka institute of Architects, Vol. 115, Issue 2, pp. 64–66.